A wide variety of breath testing devices have been developed for determining the content of ethyl alcohol in breath expelled from the lungs, or for determining whether the alcohol content exceeds a certain predetermined concentration. Such devices are useful in identifying the inebriate, since it is generally accepted that the alochol content of the breath is directly related to the blood alcohol content (B.A.C.). In order to calibrate such devices or to determine whether they are functioning properly, they may be tested by means of a simulated breath sample or standard having a known alcohol concentration. The operation of some breath testing devices requires a reference breath sample of known alcohol concentration each time the device is used, the reference sample being compared to the breath expelled by the subject.
Precise control of the alcohol concentration in a breath sample has been difficult to achieve. Many previously known methods and systems for preparing or producing alcoholic breath samples require a number of intricate steps to be performed and may also call for elaborate laboratory equipment. Operation in accordance with the present invention, on the other hand, is extremely simple, and the disclosed alcohol and breath simulation system may be made relatively compact and portable. It may also be readily incorporated within the breath testing device with which it is to be used.